Cessna 188B accident near Pleasant Hill, Missouri, May 15, 2004
On May 15, 2004 at about 10:45 pm local time, a Cessna 188B, registered N188SA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pleasant Hill, Missouri. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's improper fuel calculations. Contributing factors to the accident included the inaccurate fuel gage and the trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 15, 2004 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- Pleasant Hill, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 188B · all 188Bs on the register
- Registration
- N188SA · registry record · serial 18800867
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was on a positioning flight when it sustained substantial damage on impact with trees during a forced landing after a loss of engine power in cruise flight. The pilot reported that he had finished spraying the last field at 1715 and the left fuel gage showed 1/2 tank (14 gallons) of fuel remaining and the right tank was dry. The pilot reported the airplane consumed about 14 gallons of fuel per hour, and that he thought he had about 45-60 minutes of fuel remaining when he departed the field. The pilot reported that the engine quit while in cruise flight, and he excuted a forced landing and impacted trees at approximately 1745. The fuel system was inspected during the recovery of the airplane. The right fuel tank was dry. The left wing tank had a ruptured fuel line. The inspection revealed there was no fuel found from the fuel line to the engine driven fuel pump. No fuel was found from the engine driven fuel pump to the mixing valve/fuel control. No fuel was found in the line from the fuel control to the fuel distributor/spider.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,743 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 1,575 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 30, 2004
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Liberty MO at 10:00 pm
- Destination: LRY Harrisonville MO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from LXT, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.